Successful structural engineers - please give me some hope 13

[barkietrin7]

Dear structural engineers,

I'm a graduate structural engineer that is working really hard at becoming competent and capable in this field. It's a hard and slow grind, but I'm seeing results. I'm nearing the end of my first year in the industry as a design consultant in Melbourne.

I'm enjoying my work, but looking at some of the posts on the internet about the field is making me doubtful of the industry.

I'm looking for some hope. Scrolling this subreddit can be incredibly bleak, with every 4th post people asking for ways out of the industry.

I, and I'm sure many others here too, would love to hear from some successful structural engineers in this group.

Please tell us your story. How many years experience in the field do you have? What are you doing now? What are you working towards? Where are you from? What are you making annually/ what has your pay progression looked like (I can't believe that nobody is making money in this field). Was it worth it looking back?

If you've enjoyed your career so far and consider yourself successful, I really need to hear from you.

Many, many thanks in advance.

 

[human909]

I studied economics before having a mediocre career in finance. Quitting after a waste of time year at one firm and then politely being made redundant from another when bad times hit 6 months in. I wasn't disappointed the second time, the career path wasn't for me (despite a strong aptitude and academic interest in economics and finance).

After completing my engineering studies not particularly long ago, I went to work at a small niche engineering firm that wasn't even structural engineering but I could get paid reasonably well for mechanical design drafting with skills I had acquired along the way. I figured it was a stepping stone.

I'm still at the firm now. It took me a almost three years to leverage my way out of the drafting side of things and into my current role as lead structural engineer. The company didn't know they needed somebody in such a role until I started taking on the tasks and now they can't survived without the role. It has also helped that the company has grown significantly.

It has certainly been a convoluted path into a structural engineering role. What I have lacked in mentoring has been made up with independence and a steep curve towards self reliance and responsibility. I need to be quite aware my own limitations of my knowledge and occasionally seek outside consultation. The rewards have been a diverse range of challenges in and interesting and secure industry. My pay isn't bad either, probably a bit above average for my length of experience but I do need to make up for 'lost time' due to my career path reset.

I still have plenty to learn, and that is one of the many reasons why I have involved myself in these forums. Ask me about concrete and I'll just tell you it is the grey stuff that holds my steel to the ground, I almost know less about concrete and timber than your average graduate.

 

[human909]

I enjoy it I have to say. I have good work life balance, earn a very good living and for the most part enjoy what I do.

I’ve seen lots of young engineers come and go over the years, and in my view you either get structure or you don’t. If you don’t, decades of study and countless books will naturally help, but won’t make you the same engineer as someone who just gets it and hasn’t had to study that hard.

Ultimately, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Would i go into it all over again? Absolutely!

I agree with this entirely. I would say that it applies to most professions. Though there are many people who manage to "fake it to they make it". But that generally involves more hard work and less personally rewarding.

The path I have taken hasn't always been easy for me but that has been due to other curve balls life has thrown at me. The actual structural engineering side of things, yeah that has been a bunch of interest challenges rather than hard work!

 

[Enhineyero]

I didn't wish to pay this thread any attention because the first post is some sort of strange troll but since it has trigger enlightening discuss who cares....

I for one appreciate these sorts of discussion and find it helpful, makes me see beyond my own experience, see a better picture of the landscape. I also like the jokes.

 

[barkietrin7]

Dear structural engineers,

I'm a graduate structural engineer that is working really hard at becoming competent and capable in this field. It's a hard and slow grind, but I'm seeing results. I'm nearing the end of my first year in the industry as a design consultant in Melbourne.

I'm enjoying my work, but looking at some of the posts on the internet about the field is making me doubtful of the industry.

I'm looking for some hope. Scrolling this subreddit can be [URL unfurl="true"]https://19216811.cam/[/url] incredibly bleak, with every 4th post people asking for ways out of the industry.

I, and I'm sure many others here too, would love to hear from some successful structural engineers in this group.

Please tell us your story. How many years experience in the field do you have? What are you doing now? What are you working towards? Where are you from? What are you making annually/ what has your [URL unfurl="true"]https://1921681001.id/[/url] pay progression looked like (I can't believe that nobody is making money in this field). Was it worth it looking back?

If you've enjoyed your career so far and consider yourself successful, I really need to hear from you.

Many, many thanks in advance.
issue got solved

 

[rb1957]

"issue got solved" ... how? (just out of interest) ..

1) got a pay rise ?
2) found a way out of "cubie land" (found an innovative way to follow your career) ?
3) left the business ?
4) decided to continue (and look for relief outside of work ... rugby worked for me) ?

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[CrabbyT]

I like my job, and if I didn't, I'd find a new one. It's usually not the job itself that makes people quit - it's the leadership. Some people get caught in a rut where they don't feel safe making changes and trying new things, and they end up getting stuck at a job they hate.

Once you get a job, don't make any big purchases. If you buy a $300,000 house and lock yourself into a big financial commitment before you figure out if you like your job or not, then you're going to feel that stress and it'll be harder to leave. Maybe hold off on having kids or buying nice cars for a while. Try to think about what you're going to do with your money.

 

[RiverBeav]

The way I think of it is who are our clients . . . usually they are developers who just see you as a necessary expense needed to get a permit. The biggest building I ever did by myself, probably a 25 to 30 million dollar project, we gave a price based on a three page hand sketched picture of the building and an understanding about what the right price should be around.

In computer science type degrees, they have whole marketing arms of the big corporations naming the latest chip or operating system where people line up down the street to be the first one to purchase. You don't get our clients seeing us with this kind of value.

So after 23 years in the business, I was underpaid with younger kids, and now am probably overpaid but with older kids so it works out about the same. But I have more money than a lot of people, but not as much as engineers working in tech, chemical/elec./mech, or doctors/pharmacists/dentists. But I have enough for my needs.

If I was starting out and know what I know now, I would only work in health care or tech - those are the only professions 'making money' where you are not your own business owner. It isn't particularly healthy for the United States that this is the case, but from a purely selfish standpoint, that is where it is at. But in America, our Doctors are the highest paid professionals in the world and they still complain about not having enough. So there is an attitude about it that some people have.

From the west coast of united states. Around the high 5 figures. 23 years experience

 

[rb1957]

"But I have enough for my needs." ... and therein lies the key to much happiness ... being content with your lot.

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[JStructsteel]

Engineering has become a commodity, just like being a doctor. Someone will do it cheaper and faster, giving the instant results the customer wants. Long term.....eh.

 

[IRstuff]

Engineering has become a commodity, just like being a doctor.

That's mostly true at the family doctor end of the spectrum; the specialists continue to do well, often making >3x what a family doctor makes. What makes it worse for family doctors are the nurse practioners, who are allowed to do most of the simpler, bread and butter, things that a family doctor might otherwise do, but at a much lower salary.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[rb1957]

"Engineering has become a commodity" ... what does this mean ?

If this is saying that "good" engineering is not valued in and of itself ... is that saying that engineering isn't art ?
(which IMHO it isn't).

Is that saying that in the olde days we did things different ('cause these days we do more analysis (and have more failures from the olde days to draw on) and so achieve a "better" result ?

Is that saying the engineering is considered a less prestigious career ?

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[civeng80]

My two cents worth.

I did engineering way back in the 1970s.

For me it was either civil or electrical and at the flip of a coin I chose civil (after flipping electrical).

I liked engineering, mathematics and the physical sciences but in particular I did like structures. I would not have chosen any other career path back then except perhaps science (majoring in Physics or mathematics).

Anyway, I liked structures and graduated and worked for a small consulting office for about 12 months where I gained a lot of experience but was always pushed by the boss and he was a pretty nasty and rude person whom I did not like.

Later I joined a Water authority and ended up doing quite a bit of structural and architectural work for them, it was then that I decided to do a bit of my own development work in Industrial warehousing and commercial projects. I did an MBA about 30 years ago which really helped me with planning and financing my projects, also I became quite interested in accounting and finance and this helped me further. I was also pretty good with my hands and applied them well.

I liked designing the structures myself both architecturally and structurally and also built them as I became a registered builder (rather than a structural engineer). I enjoyed the work and still do and my earnings are much larger than what I would have achieved working for a boss or even being the boss. I now have a quite significant portfolio of industrial and commercial properties which I am managing.

Would I become a civil, structural engineer again, absolutely!

Would I advise my children to go into engineering? Probably not if they had to work full time in structural engineering for the next 30 years, as I would not have coped with this.

I still often wonder if I was a successful structural engineer, but at this point who knows and who cares.

 

[bkal]

I guess that my experience is not typical, but here we go.

After graduating almost 40 years ago I worked almost 5 years as a practicing engineer, getting to understand importance of experience and learning from more experienced colleagues. After that, I worked as a researcher in academia and gained a PhD. I was involved in various fields (FE development, constitutive modelling, biomedical engineering) but after almost 10 years of doing research I decided that academia was not for me so I joined a large company as a structural engineer. And I it was the best decision I have made. It took me some time to change my mindset from a research to practical engineering, but I had support from some of the best engineers I have met. Working for a large company (in the UK) I have a chance to work on some really fascinating projects, which would be off-limits if I was in a much smaller outfit. I accept that I could have earned more if I changed the job, but I like security and opportunities (both in type of projects and promotions) afforded to me by this company.

However, one of the best parts of my current job (I am at the top professional level, not involved in marketing or management) is an interaction with young engineers who are at the start of their careers. I find it fascinating to understand how their minds work when they face a challenging project. I also find it extremely satisfying to see how they progress from being a fresh graduate to a very competent engineer.

In a nutshell, if I could go back in time I would not change my career path.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

However, one of the best parts of my current job (I am at the top professional level, not involved in marketing or management) is an interaction with young engineers who are at the start of their careers. I find it fascinating to understand how their minds work when they face a challenging project. I also find it extremely satisfying to see how they progress from being a fresh graduate to a very competent engineer.

I love that sentiment. And, I feel the same way myself. In fact, for a long time I would refer to myself as a "frustrated professor". Granted I didn't have a PhD. But, meant more in the sense that I just LOVED guiding younger engineers along their path. Explaining certain things that I was an expert in, but which they never learned in school.... or learned poorly.

Sometimes it was even just the "thought process". Like, "let's start with statics, sum of the forces has to equal zero, right?". Or, basic tracing of a load path.

 

[civeng80]

This was a very interesting topic to read especially from the older engineers in the group.

Its great to see how people have chosen what they like doing and followed through, rather than drudgingly working day to day for years.

I maintained contact with a few of my colleges over the years and not too many are working as structural engineers. Some are in real estate and others are Company directors and another one a merchant banker.

A degree is only a stepping stone in life to achieve what your interests desire.